I Was There
by Jaeger Swift
Summary: Kankuro witnessed the birth of Gaara. This is from his view of the world on taking in new responsiblities as well as dealing with an overbearing older sister and a demonic baby brother.


Kankuro was gazing down at his brother and he could hardly breathe. The newborn still had a touch of innocence although that was quickly fading. Turning his gaze from the perfect baby he looks at the woman he came to call mother. She was still and unmoving. Reaching her side in a few steps, moving away from the bassinet, he grasps her hand concerned. He could feel her skin slightly cold and cooling more. His eyes widened in shock. It was then he knew. Father was right. He had told him not to get close to her. He had told him she would die. Moving back towards the infant he gazes down at the baby. The nurses had cleaned him and put him in a glass bassinet. They had injected him with a needle, after a little fuss from some yellow stuff and left. He was gazing around at his new surroundings. He had the most beautiful blue eyes, surrounded by a sea of black and his hair was a shade of red he couldn't place. That puzzled him. His new mommy had blond hair like his older sister Temari. His father had brown hair like he did. So where did the red hair come from? He was only two and did not know much of the world.

At that thought the baby lets out a loud healthy squeal of hunger. Kankuro knew from the cry that it was hunger. He turned and ran out of the room as fast as he could go. He hoped he would run into Temari. Maybe she could help him solve the mystery of the red hair. Turning the corner he bumped into Uncle Yashamaru. "Uncle Yashie the baby is hungry." He tells him, eager to please. Nodding Uncle Yashamaru goes into the room. Picking the infant up he shushes and calms the Preemie. Then one of the nurses came into the room and handed Yashamaru a bottle. Cradling him he put the bottle into the infant's mouth. He murmured sweet nothings as the baby ate. And as he finished the food he burped him and rocked him gently. Then he placed him into the bassinet. At that point Kankuro remembered his question to him. "Why's his hair red?" He asked his uncle. "Because of his birth she died. His hair was stained with her blood." Yashamaru told him.

"What's his name?" Kankuro asked. "His name is Gaara." Yashamaru says smiling. His smile seemed almost sad. He tilted his head. He knew Gaara didn't mean anything. "Why give him a name with no meaning?" He asks puzzled. "Because it was mother's wishes." Looking at the baby he saw the sleepy little smile play across his face. "Aw he's so cute when he's sleepy." With a quick step aunt Yashamaru leaves the room. Left alone he looked at the door to see it opening. He knew Yashamaru couldn't have returned so fast. Holding his breath he waited. In walked his older sister Temari. Her blonde locks were a little disarrayed. "Well what is it?" She asks impatiently. Locking at her he points to the bassinet. She tiptoed over to the baby as if her steps would be enough to upset him. Looking in she studied him for a minute. "You idiot you got the wrong room." Temari belittled him. "No I didn't." he defended himself. At that moment Yashamaru came in as if proving him right. Temari however just rolled her eyes at him. Yashamaru pulls a syringe out of its package and in his other hand held a small glass container upside down in his other.

He puts the needle into the syringe and filled the needle with the fluid. Once it was filled he set the container on the table nearby. Then bending over he stuck the needle into the baby's neck. As it stuck in his skin the baby gave a healthy squeal of pain and indignation. Exchanging glances the brother and sister seemed worried. "What are you doing?" Kankuro asks. "Keeping him awake." Yashamaru replies. "Why?" he asks still not getting it. "Because he has a monster inside him, one that might take over if he falls asleep. He will kill anyone near him. You know of Shukaku. Well that sand wraith is inside of him. Has been since he was inside his momma. And if you turn your back on him or trust him too much he won't hesitate to kill you." The way Yashamaru spoke, the little speech sounded as if it was rehearsed.

The two siblings did not know whether to believe uncle Yashamaru. But nonetheless they had no choice but to accept what they were told. And it was another couple of hours before Kankuro stumbled upon an argument. A doctor was arguing fiercely with Yashamaru who was just as upset. He had hung back to not get caught for eavesdropping. "You cannot. I won't allow it. I will report this to the Kazekage." The doctor was saying. Yashamaru just glared and huffed. "These are the orders of the Kazekage. You can't go against orders." He was saying. "But this experiment will fail if he dies. And that's what you are risking every time you inject him." The doctor was making his point known. Once that was made clear Yashamaru had nothing to say. It seemed like an eternity had gone by when Yashamaru finally spoke. "I will inform our Lord Kazekage then. Halt all injections ASAP." With that Yashamaru turned and left.

Once gone the doctor released a breath he'd been holding. He lets his tension ease before leaving and facing his staff. Once the doctor was gone Kankuro left his hiding spot. What were they talking about? And now he wanted to know what they were injecting into his brother with those needles. Wandering the halls he quickly found his baby brother's room. He went inside and almost screamed as a hand clamps around his mouth from behind. Removing her hand Temari, who snuck up behind him, snickered. "You should a seen the look on your face." She smirked behind her hand. "Temari!" He whined. "Get serious. I overheard something troubling about Gaara." She nodded and lead him over to a corner. "I heard one of the nurses talking too. They said that the needles contained a 'stimulant' that is used to keep him awake. The nurses said he would die with continued use." Temari confides. And in turn Kankuro tells her what he heard. Just as they finished their father the Kazekage came in. He goes over to the infant and seemed to study him. Then with a heavy sigh he looked at Kankuro. He sighed heavily after a moment and left again.

He had seemed to be thinking something bad or maybe he was upset. Kankuro couldn't help but think that somehow he was partly in his thoughts even if the thoughts were bad. His two year old self however was eager to please. Lowering his head Kankuro tried to think on what he may have done now. He received a smack on the back of his head from Temari instead. "Ow!" he said rubbing his head. Just cause she was a year older didn't mean she had to smack him around. Over the next few hours the baby was being treated with a strange mixture of loving tenderness and heartless cruelty. When he tried to sleep they now hit him and smacked him. In turn it caused him to scream and wail in misery. And while their hearts went out the baby, they knew not to cross their father the lord Kazekage. Also they didn't want to risk meeting the demon inside of him. The baby's skin eventually started to be covered with bruises. Even though the baby was just born he was already becoming distrustful of all around him.

The next day as they were packing the baby's belongings to take him home he was about to fall asleep. Uncle Yashamaru raised his hand to make the baby wake up. Kankuro, not able to stand it no more grabbed Yashamaru's wrist and yelled, "Stop! He's had enough." Stunned uncle Yashamaru was not mad but knew Kankuro would not take this treatment kindly. So in advance he and the Kazekage had made a plan to make him see. "Well I have to go get your father. Stay with him." He told the boy. "And he can sleep?" Kankuro asks anxiously. Yashamaru shrugs. "I won't know what happens when I leave, now will I?" With that he was gone. But for how long? Moving over to the baby he calms him and watches as his droopy eyelids shut and his breathing becomes steady. Watching him, he was happy that the baby could finally get some sleep. But a minute after he was asleep much to Kankuro's amazement his eyes opened again. But this time the baby had red eyes. Eyes that matched his hair.

Unable to see very far the baby created tendrils of sand around him to act as feelers. The feelers move around and slowly head toward a scared Kankuro, who was rooted to the spot. The sand moves over him and the look on the baby changed. He narrows his eyes and opens his little hand. As he does the sand completely wrapped around him. Panicking now he tries to squeal in terror. The sand only moves over his mouth. The baby, with narrowed eyes, clenches his little fist. And a rush of feelings swept over Kankuro. The first was an immense pressure around his body as the sand squeezed tightly.

The next was an incredible amount of pain as all of the bones in his arms and legs broke. The next to break was his ribs and as they snapped under the pressure he could barely breath and a little blood trickled out of his mouth. The next was the dull ache of his broken body and the feeling of blood trickling out his mouth and nose and eyes. He could hear a dull roar in his ears which was his breath, ragged and awkward. And the baby, as if using his sand to find him, turned his head towards him. He knew that Gaara could not see him because he knew that babies only saw so far in front of their faces.

He was going to do one more thing. The killing blow he supposed, when a sudden thick smack resounded in the air. Looking up he saw Temari, who had only just arrived, smack Gaara sharply on his butt making him awaken and let Kankuro go. Dropping to the floor he could not move. His eyes watered and he could not speak either. "Kankuro! Hey Kankuro?" Temari asks scared as his vision wavers. The last thought that Kankuro could think before moving to unconsciousness was that he was relieved that Temari did care about him. He could feel his mind as it slipped below the surface.

- Looking around, seeing his room, he wondered when he got home. Moving inside the house he enters the baby's new room. His eyes widen as he enters the nursery. The walls were coated in fresh blood and rivulets dripped from the ceiling. Looking at the blood covered floor he saw the twisted corpse of Temari. Her blonde hair red. The crib contained Gaara. He was older maybe 5 or 6 and standing. He glared at Kankuro and sneered evilly. Backing up Kankuro turned and ran down the hall. He tripped over a large object in the hallway. Looking by his feet he saw uncle Yashamaru. His body was just as mutilated as his sister's. Looking back he could see a wave of blood stained sand coming after him. His eyes widen in horror as the sand moves over his body covering him.

Then as he thought he was dead he looked around. In front of him was a monster with a tail. It was Khaki and had tribal markings all over it. He crouched and waited. For what Kankuro did not know. He knew he had to get out of there. Had to find Gaara and snap him out of this. Shukaku then raised his head and as it did Kankuro knew what it was. Almost like it whispered his name in his head. Shukaku lowered his head again and seemed to wait. Then Kankuro knew once again as the sand wraith told him mentally what it wanted.

He wanted the thrill of the hunt. Which was one thing he would not give this thing. He faced it instead and screamed at it. He used all the words his little 2 year old self could remember. The demon just chuckled and sat down. He seemed like he was going to speak to Kankuro. What was he going to say? He could not fathom. _For your courage I will reward you._ Shukaku smirks amused. He twitched his tail back and forth. He seemed to think about his reward to Kankuro. Finally he just wanted to give Kankuro a poem to carry with him for the rest of his life.

_**G**__oing silently to and fro_

_**A**__bloodcurdling scream follows_

_**A**__nd announces the presence of a demon_

_**R**__un if you can reach the door_

_**A**__s the sand takes the life out of you._

_**S**__urreal images fill your mind_

_**A**__s your death becomes apparent_

_**B**__ut the strong does not always prevail_

_**A**__nd the scent of sand fills your nose_

_**K**__arasu fly as the sand fills your lungs_

_**U**__nmasking the mask of death for you_

Kankuro was taken aback by the poem as he thought about it. It seemed more like a riddle then a poem. He sat there thinking of the subject of the poem. He knew the theme was death but could grasp nothing from it. Maybe he was talking of Gaara. But every baby was born innocent, right? He thought about the poem and as an idea enters his mind. He scribbles it down and notices the first letter of each sentence. He wrote just the first letter of each sentence and came out with the solution. _**Gaara Sabaku**_.

That was what it spelled. He then understood. Gaara could not be trusted completely. His brother was born with a killer wraith inside him. One whom would surely influence the path of his life. More so than his own flesh and blood. And as he figured it out he looked at Shukaku. He saw the place around him wavering and fading. Alarmed he watches as Shukaku fades and disappears completely. And as his mind clears he wakes up from his dream.-

Looking around he was attached to many machines. He saw his sister and uncle nearby. He heard the steady beep of his heart. He was relieved of course that Temari was alive and well. And he was thankful Yashamaru was still here too. "Have you learned your lesson Kankuro?" He asks him. He could only nod as he was still hooked up to hospital machinery. Temari gave him a look like she thought he was an idiot but he saw a hint of relief there as well. Yashamaru held Gaara and Kankuro involuntarily winced backward from him. The heart monitor beeping faster as he felt fear.

"You are just a big scaredy cat." Temari stuck her tongue out at him. He felt himself blush and knew he stuck out his tongue back. The Kazekage had just entered the room at that. He gave a sigh as he sits down. "Can't you two act better than this?" He says. "We are waiting on the nurse." Yashamaru told his father. He nodded in understandment and minuted seem to go by when the doctor comes into the room. "Lord Kazekage. Your son has suffered multiple fractures of his arms as well as his ribs. We were able to give him a transfusion. His lung had collapsed but we fixed right away. He will be here for another couple of months."

Pulling the doctor to the side his father talks to him privately. "So have you learned your lesson? Now will you believe what we tell you?" Yashamaru asks him. Nodding he closes his eyes. The memories of his brother trying to kill him surface and he opens his eyes back up. The Kazekage enters again and speaks to Yashamaru before leaving. Getting up Yashamaru holds the baby close and grabs Temari's hand. He waves goodbye with his free hand and they leave the room. Left alone Kankuro settles down to sleep. As he dreams Gaara and Shukaku come to the surface and make him sweat in his sleep, tossing and turning fretfully all night. Eventually his mind relaxes and he dreams of black haired puppets named Karasu,

If you like please post a comment in my inbox. If I receive 3 I will publish chapter number two which has an interesting twist to it. Things become fascinating as in chapter two Kankuro discovers something that will change their lives.


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